1. Field Of The Invention:
The present invention is directed to the provision of a beach umbrella safety device. More particularly, the present invention is directed to the provision of a restraining device for preventing beach umbrellas from being blown about by unexpected sudden gusts of wind. More particularly, the present invention provides a beach umbrella restraining device, an anchoring system utilizing the restraining device and a kit containing the components of the anchoring system.
2. Description Of The Prior Art:
Many attempts have been made to provide stable portable shelters, particularly for recreational use such as during camping or bathing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 998,093, to Hill, discloses a portable tent comprising a three-sided canvas cover adapted to be stretched around a tripod of legs depending from a frame. Canvas bags, adapted to contain a weighting material, such as sand or gravel, are adapted to be connected to the legs so as to hold the legs rigid thereby securely anchoring the tent.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,409,316, to Smith, discloses a bathing tent comprising a central pole adapted to have its lower end embedded in the sand or the ground and to have its upper end engage the central portion of the wall of the tent. The lower end or ends of the wall or walls of the tent are provided with a pocket or pockets to receive sand or other heavy material to anchor the lower ends upon the ground. The upper portion of the tent may be provided with a device for holding the walls away from the central pole a sufficient distance to provide ample room for the occupant or occupants.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,498,111, to Nelsen, discloses a tent for camping wherein the lower end of the central pole is fitted with an auger blade so as to allow easy and firm installation of the central pole. The bottom edges of the walls of the tent are provided with pockets adapted to be filled with earth or sand, the weight of which is designed to hold the wall in place without additional fastenings.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,650,111, to Byne, discloses a tent-like shelter comprised of a plurality of ribs which are joined to one another at their ends. The respective groups of ends of the ribs are connected by a tensioning device which imparts a bow to the ribs. The ribs support a fabric body. The tent may be in the form of a quadrant of a sphere with one end resting against the ground and the other end maintained in a vertical position by the utilization of guy lines attached to an anchor which may comprise a bag filled with a suitable ballast material.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,036,033, to Fisher, discloses a portable canopy and beach shelter construction comprising a plurality of elongated U-shaped frame members capable of being compactly collapsed together, when the canopy is folded, the adjacent ends of the U-shaped members being hingedly interconnected. Pegs which may be inserted into the ground are attached to these hinges. A covering made of a textile interconnects the various U-shaped members. The floor and/or cover of the canopy is formed by a mat attached to one terminal U-shaped frame member and this mat is provided with pockets adapted to be filled with sand, earth or other materials for the purpose of stabilizing the entire structure and permitting it to resist wind and distorting influences.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,107, to Beatty, discloses a shelter apparatus comprising a generally cylindrical post unit adapted to be erected with one end anchored in the ground. A tubular adaptor is fixed at right angles to the other end of the post unit with the adaptor projecting from opposite sides of the post unit. Support arms are telescopically mounted to either end of the adaptor and biased inwardly toward the post unit so that they will normally form a T-type structure with the post unit, however, when collapsed, the support arms may be folded parallel to the post unit. The support arms support a flexible sheet at one end of the sheet and the free end of the sheet may be anchored by means of pegs and/or ballast bags.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,737, to Rote, discloses a beach and picnic blanket comprising a generally rectangular shaped flexible material, with wide-open triangular shaped corner pockets at each corner point about the perimeter of the flexible material. The corner pockets may receive weighted materials therein to anchor the blanket.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,333,595, to Bannister et al., discloses a cabana having a floor, a top and a connecting sidewall structure. A hollow, inflatable, stretching and anchoring rim is connected to the floor around the margin thereof. The hollow anchoring rim is constructed so as to hold water as ballast or to be inflated and to receive sand between the rim and the sidewall structure to fully extend the floor and tighten the sidewall structure for maximum room inside the cabana and to provide ballast.
Despite these attempts to provide portable shelters for recreational use, the fact remains that the most ubiquitous form of portable shelter is the beach umbrella. Typically, such beach umbrellas are provided with a support shaft having a tapered end so as to facilitate insertion of the shaft into the sand of the beach to provide the sole support for the umbrella. Unfortunately, these beach umbrellas are liable to be up-ended by sudden and unexpected gusts of wind and the tapered end of the support shaft then becomes a dangerous, and potentially lethal hazard to the users of the umbrella and other people on the beach.